Clasuager, in his book "MG Saloon Cars, states that the ZB starts with
chassis 18577, and "Gone were the fron wing hockey sticks, ..."
Also, "...there was a new Magnette model-the Vairtone. This was not
simply a dou-tone version of the ZB, although this of course was where
the name came from, as its other distinguishing feature was a new
panoramic rear window. This added a further complication to the Magnette
productin process. All shells were still supplied from Pressed Steel
with the standard rear window aperture, but a dexignated Variton shell
was then routed to the body shop of MOrris Motors at Cowley were the
larger window aperature was cut by what was described as 'knife and
fork' methods (quoted from Motor Sport, May 1957), and pnly then were
the shells sent on for painting. On the Varioton the front wing trim
strips were omitted but there was a thin chrome strip along the
waistline from radiator grille to rear buimper dividing the two colours.
In fact, the Varitone-bodied car soon began to be offered also in single
colours, the first such car being supplied to George Tuck, ... John
Thornley himslef was one of those who preferred a single\c0ulor
Varitone, and thus he had chassis number 23358 finished all over in the
early Magnette colour Metalic Twilight Grey."
Regards,
Blake
|